


Nothing To Hide

by tricia_16



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 09:05:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13678584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tricia_16/pseuds/tricia_16
Summary: Based on this prompt:HS AU. Someone's been leaving notes in Cas's locker for a while. Cas can't figure out who it is. But on Valentine's Day, there's a card asking Cas to meet him... tonight





	Nothing To Hide

**Author's Note:**

>  
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> [](https://imgur.com/umNG4CE)  
>   
> 

**_You don’t smile enough, but whenever you do, it’s like the sun came out on a cloudy day._ **

Cas stands in front of his locker and stares at the typed note in his hands, wondering who sent this for what feels like the millionth time. Who sent _all_ of these? Because today is day twelve, and Cas is nowhere closer to figuring out who his secret admirer is than he was on day one.

He puts the note on top of all of the others, and flips through them one by one, although he already has all the rest of them memorized.

**_You looked unbelievably gorgeous yesterday._ **

**_I’m so completely gone on you._ **

**_I think about you all the time._ **

**_I love it when your hair is all messy because you can’t keep your hands out of it._ **

**_I love the way you say my name._ **

**_Your laugh is the best sound in the world._ **

**_You’re hot as fuck when you’re angry._ **

**_I still can’t believe how smart you are._ **

**_I wonder what it would feel like to hold your hand sometimes._ **

**_Blue is my favorite color because of your eyes._ **

**_I just really want to make you happy._ **

Cas can’t wipe the smile of of his face as he reads them. He never can, and he’s read them so many times the paper’s already so worn it’s soft between his fingers. Who is it that’s thinking so many sweet, romantic thoughts about him? He can hardly even believe it.

He’s never had a boyfriend or girlfriend before. He’s never even had his first kiss. Nobody’s ever shown any kind of interest in him romantically, and he knows it’s because other teenagers his age think he’s a little weird. He’s more interested in science and botany and insects than he is in football and girls wearing short skirts that might flip up if the wind blows _just_ the right way.

He wants to go to a good college next year, and in order to do that he needs to get in on a scholarship, so he spends more time studying than his peers. Which probably wouldn’t be a big deal in itself, except he’s always studying whenever his friends are busy watching movies, Netflix, or listening to music. So he has no idea what his friends are talking about most of the time, and again, it makes him come off as a little weird when everybody else gets these references to pop culture that he just doesn’t.

Thankfully, he has a handful of friends who seem to like him well enough the way he is. Charlie, Jo, Kevin, even Crowley is nice enough to him most of the time. Then of course there’s Sam and Jess, who are a few years younger than the rest of them, but they all became friendly with them anyway because of Dean.

Dean Winchester. The most popular boy in school. The boy every girl and every boy - including himself - either wants to be or wants to be _with_. They’ve been neighbors and best friends for the last six years, and even though Cas and the rest of their friends are nowhere near as popular as Dean is, he still sits with them at lunch several times a week, and drives Cas and Sam to and from school every day he doesn’t have swim practice.

Cas has been waiting for the day when Dean would finally choose one of his many admirers and start dating them, leaving him standing in the dust. But even though he has a reputation for making out with random girls - and he’s heard rumors of boys, too, though he’s never been brave enough to ask him - at parties he goes to, he’s never even gone on a date. As far as he knows, anyway. And it’s not like Cas hasn’t brought that up. Dean always says girls are too much of a distraction from swimming, and he has to be around to keep an eye out for Sam. Cas doesn’t mention how much time the two of them manage to spend together even while Dean has those other things going on because he doesn’t want to rush the inevitable day when Dean realizes he could be spending their time together with somebody else. It’ll come. He just doesn’t want to be the one who mentions it.

“What’s it say this time?” Dean asks from beside him, bringing him back to the present. Cas turns the note towards him, hating the blush he can feel spreading across his face. Dean reads it and nods in agreement. “You do have a nice smile,” he says, his lush lips turning up at one corner into a shy smile. Cas’s blush only deepens, and he tries to hide it by putting some of his books away and grabbing the next set he needs for his first class. “Your secret admirer’d probably be pretty happy about the big smile on your face after reading this one."

Castiel shrugs. “It’s nice to hear - or read, I guess - nice things about myself. Nobody ever says nice things to me.”

“Pfft. I say nice things about you all the time,” Dean argues. “So does Sam and Charlie. We all think you’re awesome.”

Cas can’t help the little fluttering he feels in his stomach just hearing Dean say he thinks he’s awesome. “Yes, well, until you start reciting poetry about my smile being like sunshine, these notes still remain the nicest things anybody’s ever said to me.”

Dean snorts. “You know me. Not a big fan of chick flick moments, Cas,” he replies. _Believe me, I know_ , Castiel thinks sadly. “You still have no idea who’s been doing this?”

Castiel shakes his head. “Absolutely none. I’ve thought about it a million times and I can’t remember the last time I’ve said anybody’s name aloud except for our friends.”

“Coulda just been handing a pencil to somebody or something though. You’d probably never remember that kinda thing,” Dean offers.

“Perhaps. Anyhow, with my luck, it will likely be a girl who’s gone to all of this trouble and it would be a moot point anyway,” Castiel says, admitting his biggest fear about all of this out loud for the first time.

Dean shrugs. “I dunno, man. Seems like if it was a chick it’d be more -” Dean gestures wildly with his hands, wiggling his fingers in the air - “glittery or some shit.”

Cas rolls his eyes at his best friend’s vocabulary, elegant as always. “At this rate I’ll never figure it out.”

Just then, the bell rings, and they both grab their bags and head towards homeroom together.

 

 

The next morning, the day starts the same. Cas opens his locker and sees the single slip of paper waiting for him. This time, it reads:  
  
**_Seeing you work so hard every single day inspires me to be a better person._**

Cas lets out a pathetic sounding sigh, which has Dean rounding on him instantly. “Got another one, huh?” Cas holds it out to him and watches as he reads it over. Dean’s eyebrows shoot up when he looks up to meet his eyes. “So obviously whoever it is knows you’re a total nerd.”

Cas smiles at the insult, knowing that when Dean uses the word _nerd_ it’s basically a term of endearment and that he isn’t making fun of him like other people are when they say it. “It sounds like it, yes. Although I don’t think that helps me narrow it down any further.”

“Yeah, you’re pretty well-known for being a brainiac. You and Sammy are probably the biggest nerds in the school.”

“It probably only seems that way because people know who we are because of you,” Cas says.

“Not only ‘cause of me. Hell, girls come up to me and ask me about you all the damn time,” Dean tells him.

Cas is surprised to hear that. “They do? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Dean’s face goes a little pink and he licks his lips nervously before he says, “I thought you said you were, you know, not into that?”

“ _Gay_ , Dean. The word you’re looking for is _gay_. You can say the word without catching it, you know,” Cas says, annoyed by Dean’s juvenile behavior.

“Shut up, you know it ain’t like that. I just didn’t want to say it in case anybody heard me,” Dean explains.

“I could really care less. Being gay isn’t something to be ashamed of.”

“I know. I didn’t mean it like that either. Shit. You know I don’t care about that, right?” Dean asks.

Castiel softens, because he does know. “Yes, I know. It’s still annoying to hear you tiptoe around it though. It’s just a word.”

“Okay, fine. I didn’t tell you about all the girls who ask about you because I thought you were gay,” Dean says, his voice sounding a little shy, but steady nonetheless. And he appreciates the effort.

“I am,” Cas answers immediately. “Still, would have been nice to know I’ve had admirers in the past. Nobody’s ever shown any interest in me whatsoever.”

“Except for whoever’s sending the notes,” Dean points out.

Cas can’t help his little smile. “Yes, I suppose that’s true. I’ve kind of secretly been hoping that whoever it is will reveal their identity tomorrow.”

Dean closes his locker and leans against it casually, looking far too sure of himself than any teenager has a right to. “Why tomorrow?”

Cas can’t contain another eye roll. “It’s Valentine’s Day, Dean.”

“Valentine’s Day,” Dean repeats with a snort. “What a crock of shit.”

Cas shrugs, knowing perfectly well he wouldn’t mind being treated extra special by somebody he cares about, Valentine’s Day or not. “You don’t have plans, then?” he asks Dean.

“Hell no. I don’t date on a regular day, sure as hell not gonna start on the one day of the year where expectations are higher than ever.”

Cas nods and is about to express his understanding when the bell rings.

“Let’s go, Casanova,” Dean teases, and Cas laughs as he shuts his locker and walks in step with Dean down the hallway.

 

 

Wednesday morning, Cas’s heart is beating wildly in anticipation when he walks down the hall towards his locker. This time, he doesn’t have to wait to see if there’s a note waiting for him because even from the end of the hall, he can see a single red rose sticking out of the slots of his locker. His face flushes with color as he tries to control the huge smile he can feel on his face.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Dean comments, which only makes Cas flush deeper.

Once he’s close enough, he grabs the rose and gives into the desire to bury his nose into it to inhale its beautiful scent.

He hears Dean chuckle beside him and he side eyes him hard, daring him to say something mean about this. Dean puts his hands up in a gesture of peace. “Just didn’t know you were such a sap, that’s all.”

Cas shrugs. “Nobody’s ever bought me a flower before. I want to enjoy the full experience.”

“No note this time?” Dean asks.

Castiel puts in his locker combination and smiles again when he sees a card. He holds it up to show Dean, and tears the envelope open. The front of the card just has a heart on it, and the inside is blank other than letters cut out from what looks like a magazine forming the words:

**_Will you be my Valentine? I'd love the chance to spoil you tonight. Meet me in the parking lot after school. - Your Secret Admirer_ **

“Holy shit,” Cas breathes, reading it over once more quickly before he hands the card to Dean.

“Jeez, reminds me of the start of a scary movie or something with the letters cut out like that,” Dean jokes.

“Whoever it is has gone to a considerable amount of trouble to hide his or her handwriting,” Cas says. “I must be able to figure it out based on that. This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Well, good news is, you’re gonna know in about six hours,” Dean reminds him with a grin.

Cas slumps back against his locker. “This is a nightmare!”

Dean looks surprised. “What, why?”

“Because! I’ve never been a date before, and I don’t even know who this person is! What if they’ve gone to all this trouble and been so sweet and I’m not interested in them whatsoever?”

Dean shrugs. “So what? Nobody says you have to marry the person. It’s just one night. Just go and be nice like you are to everybody anyway, and if you’re not into it by the end of the night then tell whoever it is thanks for a nice time and that’s that.”

Cas exhales slowly. “You make it sound so easy.”

Dean shrugs. “I just don’t think it’s that big a deal, that’s all. Just be yourself, Cas. Anybody who wants to get to know you better’s gotta be damn smart already, and they’re gonna see how amazing you are no matter how nervous you might be.”

Cas’s heart melts more than a little in his chest and he has to look away in order to at least attempt to hide how much Dean saying things like that affects him. “You think I’m amazing?” Cas hears himself ask, and then, though he didn’t think it was possible, his face heats up even more.

“‘Course I do. As if you don’t know that, man,” Dean says, giving him a playful little shove. “And you better not forget about me when you start dating whoever this other person is.”

“Impossible,” Cas promises, finding the courage to meet his eyes.

They hold eye contact, the way they do sometimes, when Cas feels like entire worlds of unsaid conversations span between them. Sometimes when Dean looks at him like this, he can convince himself within these few seconds that maybe Dean has feelings that go beyond friendship for him, too. But the moment Dean looks away - and it’s always Dean who looks away first - he remembers who Dean is, what he looks like, and that Dean’s only ever seen him as his nerdy best friend.

Predictably, it’s the bell ringing this morning that causes them both to look away from one another. They each grab their stuff quickly and take off to home room in a comfortable silence.

It’s last period when Cas gets a text from Dean. Phones aren’t allowed in class, of course, but he hardly ever gets messages during the day so he excuses himself to use the bathroom to check it.

 

 

 

Cas stares blankly down at his phone. Dean thinks he’s adorable?

 

 

Not surprisingly, the last half hour of class drags by. He can’t even begin to guess who his secret admirer is, and he has absolutely no idea what whoever it is has in store for him tonight. Being spoiled sounds really nice, but what does that mean exactly?

By the time his class has ended, he’s already a sweaty ball of nerves, and he hurries into the bathroom to apply a fresh coat of deodorant and at least attempt to fix his hair. It’s everywhere. A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth when he remembers the note that said how much his secret admirer likes his hair when it’s a little crazy, so he decides last second to just leave it the way it is. It’s the least he can do. He pops a piece of gum into his mouth and walks out to the parking lot to meet Dean.

Dean’s leaning against the side of his car, leather jacket and sunglasses on, and just the sight of him alone is enough to take his breath away. He’s absolutely gorgeous. Then Dean sees him and shoots him a big, genuine smile, and Cas would swear his heart stutters in his chest.

“Heyya, Cas,” Dean calls to him before he’s anywhere close enough for him to respond politely.

He walks quickly until he approaches him and finally answers, “Hello, Dean.”

“Notice you didn’t fix your hair,” he says with a wink, and Cas pats it subconsciously while he tries to remind his brain how to work. “Looks good the way it is. Just sayin’,” Dean finishes, and Cas smiles shyly at him. “Well, what’re you waitin’ for? Get in!”

Cas exhales loudly and goes around to the passenger side of Dean’s 1967 Impala. A car so beautiful it’s almost worthy of the man who drives it, he thinks to himself. He puts his bag in the back seat as usual, and when he turns back to face Dean, he sees he has a black strip of material in his hand.

“Gotta blindfold you,” he explains, grinning at the unimpressed look Cas is pinning him with.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Dean shrugs, looking way too amused for Cas’s liking. “You wanna meet your secret admirer or not?”

“I hate you so much right now,” he grumbles, and apparently that’s enough for Dean, because he laughs before he reaches out to tie the blindfold around his head.

“Wonder if your secret admirer’s a little kinkier than your average high school kid,” Dean muses and Castiel sputters nonsensically, images of _50 Shades Of Grey_ previews racing through his mind, suddenly wondering what the hell he’s about to walk into. “Relax, buddy. I’m joking. Jeez.”

“Shut up,” he says lamely, and though he can’t see a damn thing, he turns as if he’s looking out the window instead of facing forwards.

Dean chuckles beside him. “The whole cold shoulder thing doesn’t work so well when I can’t even see most of your face.”

“Why are you being so annoying?”

“Didn’t mean to be. I was just trying to distract you from freaking out over your date,” Dean answers, his voice slightly softer than it was a second ago.

“Oh,” Cas says stupidly. It was working, too, he realizes belatedly as the nerves come crashing back into him. “Thanks. And thank you for driving me.”

“I always drive you,” Dean responds. Which is true. “Besides, I’m kinda glad I can be here with you to keep you from crapping your pants. No way that would make a good first impression.”

Cas huffs out a deep breath in reply. He can’t think of what to say because he’s so focused on who he might be able to meet.

“Can you please tell me who it is? So I can react now and not embarrass myself later?” he tries.

“No can do,” Dean answers quickly.

“Can you give me a hint at least?”

“Hmmm,” Dean says. “Maybe. Depends on what you wanna know.”

“Since _who_ is obviously out of the question, can you at least confirm it’s a guy?” Cas asks desperately.

“It’s a guy. I wouldn’t have let you go through with all of this if it was a chick about to get shot down,” Dean explains. And that makes sense. Dean wouldn't do that to him or to the girl, regardless of who it is.

“Am I going to like him?” Cas asks.

“Honestly? No idea.”

“Great,” Cas answers dryly.

“How would I know anyway? You never talk about liking anybody. I don’t even know what kinds of things you’re into when it comes to that,” Dean points out.

And he’s right again. He’s literally never talked about this kind of thing with Dean because he’s always been terrified of what would happen between them if Dean realizes how much he likes him.

“I suppose that’s fair,” Cas answers reluctantly. “I believe I would be attracted to somebody who’s smart, funny, and who cares about things other than Netflix and getting drunk or high every weekend. He would also have to get along with the rest of our friends, and understand that you and I are close and that I don’t want that to change. Oh, and I suppose he’d have to be patient when it comes to a physical relationship.”

He knows his cheeks are pink again and hopes the blindfold is doing an okay job at hiding how embarrassed he is to have to say that as a 17 year old.

Dean makes a sound of agreement. “I guess you think most guys our age are just out for sex.”

“Considering I am our age, I can certainly understand the appeal,” he answers, which makes Dean laugh. “But I don’t think I’d be comfortable just, you know, jumping right into something physical. Not until I trust the person.”

“Makes sense,” Dean comments.

“Says the guy with a reputation for making out with whoever he can find,” Cas teases him.

“Screw you. That’s the beer. Not my fault hot people keep throwing themselves at me when my usual defences are down. Besides, it’s not like any of them meant anything to me. It was just a couple of kisses. And there weren’t that many people. People exaggerate the shit outta that stuff.”

“I was only teasing you, Dean. You know you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” Cas says, surprised by how much Dean was willing to talk about all of that. He also didn’t miss how he said _people_ instead of girls.

“I know. Just don’t want you thinking I’m some kind of player or something.”

“I don’t think that. At all. We both know most of the school would want a chance with you and that you could be with anybody you want to be, but you don’t use that to your advantage. I know who you are. It doesn’t matter what people say about you,” he says earnestly.

Dean clears his throat as Cas feels the car come to a stop. “Okay. We’re here. Keep the kinky blindfold on, and I’m gonna come around to lead you… inside.”

Cas finds all he can do is nod.

He hears Dean’s door open and close, and he hears his muffled footsteps outside coming around the car to open his door. He awkwardly swings his legs out of the car and Dean places his hand on his head, probably so he doesn’t smack it on the roof of the car when he tries to get out. Then Dean has him by the elbow and Cas would swear the warmth from his hand is burning right through the material of his shirt.

“Ground’s pretty even, so just let me lead the way and you should be good. I’ll tell you when to step up,” Dean says, and Castiel shuffles along with him carefully. It’s a testament to how much he trusts Dean that he just lets him do this. He knows it would only take one wrong step and he could fall and potentially get hurt fairly easily.

“Alright, first step. There’s three, then I’ll guide you through the door,” Dean explains. He goes up two of the steps and then he hears Dean open a door before Dean comes around him, places both hands on his shoulders and says, “One more step up and we’re goin’ in.”

Once he’s through the door the first thing he hears is music. Even Cas can recognize _Journey_ playing. It's something Dean listens to sometimes in the Impala. It's soft and romantic but not entirely cheesy, and the idea of his secret admirer knowing he’d appreciate this kind of music makes him smile. He can hear another set of feet walking around him and Dean, but after Dean prompts him to toe off his shoes, Dean just walks him forwards and doesn’t say a thing to the other person.

“Alright, stop right here,” Dean tells him. He feels his hands drop from his shoulders to run down his arms, and he has to fight back a shiver at the feeling of Dean’s hands on him amplified by the fact that he can’t see him. “K, well, your secret admirer is waiting for you. He uh, wanted you to listen to a song about how he feels about you, you know, before you take the blindfold off. So just stay right here with the blindfold on and listen to the next song, then take it off when it’s over. I’m gonna take off now.”

“Okay,” Cas says awkwardly. “Thank you for helping, Dean.”

Cas can hear him take in and then let out a deep breath, slowly, before he responds in a whisper. “Let me know if you need anything, okay? Just say the word and everything can go back to how it was before all of this.”

Cas nods, and then he hears Dean back away from him, and he knows he’s alone with his secret admirer for the first time when the door closes. He barely has a second to worry about that before the music turns up louder and the familiar beginning notes of _Open Arms_ starts playing.

He knows this song. Everybody knows this song. But he doesn’t know all the lyrics, and he certainly doesn’t know how they apply to the current situation. So he stands awkwardly with a blindfold on and listens.

 

_Lying beside you_   
_Here in the dark_   
_Feeling your heartbeat with mine_   
_Softly you whisper_   
_You're so sincere_   
_How could our love be so blind_   
_We sailed on together_   
_We drifted apart_   
_And here you are_   
_By my side_

_So now I come to you_   
_With open arms_   
_Nothing to hide_   
_Believe what I say_   
_So here I am_   
_With open arms_   
_Hoping you'll see_   
_What your love means to me_   
_Open arms_

_Living without you_   
_Living alone_   
_This empty house seems so cold_   
_Wanting to hold you_   
_Wanting you near_   
_How much I wanted you home_

_But now that you've come back_   
_Turned night into day_   
_I need you to stay_

_So now I come to you_   
_With open arms_   
_Nothing to hide_   
_Believe what I say_   
_So here I am_   
_With open arms_   
_Hoping you'll see_   
_What your love means to me_   
_Open arms_

 

Cas’s heart is beating erratically in his chest. This song is talking about love. This isn’t some song you’d just play for somebody who would have passed him in the halls and developed some kind of crush on him. This person believes they love him. This person feels lonely without him, and wants to hold him and listen to his heartbeat.

It’s with trembling fingers that he reaches up to his face to remove the blindfold. He expects the room to be too bright and looks straight down at his feet, but instead of being overwhelmed with light, the only light sees is coming from dozens of candles flickering across the room.

His eyes adjust quickly and he realizes with a start that he recognizes this floor. His heart is in his throat when he flicks his eyes up quickly to fall on Dean standing in front of him in the middle of his living room.

For a split second he thinks that Dean didn’t actually leave like he was supposed to, but then he notices that he’s wearing a red button down dress shirt and black jeans that he certainly wasn't wearing at school, or even five minutes ago. And he’s holding a huge bouquet of roses in his hands, and he kind of looks like he’s about to throw up.

Snippets of lyrics scream through his head. _How could our love be so blind? Wanting to hold you. Wanting you near. So here I am with open arms, nothing to hide. Hoping you’ll see what your love means to me._

“D-dean?” Cas says, and he’s embarrassed but not at all surprised that his voice comes out in a croak.

“Nothing to hide,” Dean says, offering Cas a soft smile. He takes a few steps forward and holds the flowers out to him. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Cas.”

Cas takes the flowers automatically but he still can’t believe what’s actually happening. “I - I don’t understand.”

Dean takes a deep breath, and then his smile grows when he says, “You looked unbelievably gorgeous yesterday.” Cas is sure his heart stops. _Dean_ thinks he looked gorgeous yesterday? “I’m so completely gone on you. I think about you all the time,” Dean pauses to clear his throat and Cas thanks his timing because he thinks he might actually faint. _Dean_ sent him all those notes? “I love it when your hair’s all messy ‘cause you can’t keep your hands out of it. I love the way you say my name. Your laugh is the best sound in the world. You’re hot as fuck when you’re angry.” Cas notices this is the first time Dean’s face turns a little red. “I still can’t believe how smart you are. I wonder what it would feel like to hold your hand sometimes.” Dean’s eyes drop to his hands holding the roses and it’s as if he can _feel_ his gaze on them. “Blue’s my favorite color because of your eyes, Cas. I…” Dean stumbles for the first time and shakes his head a little, but continues, “I just really want to make you happy. You don’t smile enough, but whenever you do, it’s like the sun came out on a cloudy day.” Cas feels like the world is spinning way too fast. _Dean_ is saying that to him? _Dean?_ “Seeing you work so hard every single day inspires me to be a better person. Will you be my Valentine? I’d love the chance to spoil you tonight.”

Cas can feel his mouth open and close several times as he tries to find words to say. “I - you - you… really?” Dean’s smiling and nodding his head, even though he hasn’t managed to get a full question out so far. “Is this a joke?”

Dean shakes his head and runs his hand through his hair. “Not a joke, Cas. Though I can always pretend it was if that’s what you want.”

_Just say the word and everything can go back to how it was before all of this._

“No,” Cas says quickly, and he sees the way Dean’s shoulders relax instantly. He hadn’t noticed how tight he was holding them. “You - you have feelings for me?”

Dean nods his head again slowly. “I tried ignoring them.”

“Why?” Cas interrupts.

“You’re my best friend. You’ve been my best friend since we were kids. I didn’t want to mess anything up, you know? But I can’t fake it anymore. I mean, I will if that’s what you want. But I knew it was just a matter of time before some other guy came along and realized that you’re this stupidly smart, hilarious, hot little nerd, and I didn’t want to miss my chance.”

Cas finds he can’t look him in the face. He looks down at the roses instead and still can hardly believe this is happening. “You could have anybody.”

“But you’re the only one I want,” Dean answers, stepping closer to him to cup his face in his hands and tilting it upwards so Cas has no choice but to look back at him. His breath hitches and his eyes drift closed when he feels Dean’s thumb brush along his cheekbone. “You’re kinda leaving me hanging here, man.”

Cas’s eyes pop open when he realizes he never actually answered any of Dean’s questions. He’s only been asking his own. “Yes, Dean. Yes, I’ll be your Valentine. I’ve had feelings for you for as long as I can remember, but I never thought you’d look at me that way.”

“I’ve been lookin’ at you for years,” Dean replies quietly.

Cas notices suddenly just how close they are. If it wasn’t for the bouquet of flowers in his hands, there would be no space between them at all. Dean’s hand is still on his face. His eyes drop to Dean’s lips, those beautifully luscious lips he’s spent years looking at, and it suddenly occurs to him that he could kiss him. He could finally know what he tastes like.

“Can I - Dean, can I kiss you?” Cas whispers.

Dean licks his lips and Cas hears a tiny whimper come from his own throat.

“You have no fucking clue how bad I want that, but we don’t have to rush real fast into that kinda thing if you’re not comfortable with it.”

“I’m comfortable with you,” he says, which is a lie, because he’s never felt less comfortable in his entire life. He’s never been more aware of every inch of his body as he is right now, and he’s petrified he’s going to do something wrong. “But I’ve never kissed anybody before.”

Dean’s eyes go noticeably darker and he licks his lips again before he answers, “Well, honestly, I kinda like the idea of being your first kiss. But I got dinner, a movie, and a couple of other Valentine’s Day type things planned for the rest of the night, so we don’t need to do that right now if you don’t want to.”

Dean Winchester. The man who is very vocal about being anti Valentine’s Day, anti chick flick moments, and doesn’t date anybody, has an entire romantic night planned _for him_. 

Before he even registers what he’s doing, the flowers hit the floor, he closes the distance between their bodies, and he’s winding his arms around Dean’s neck. “Show me.” His voice shakes on even those two words, and his face floods with color, but he wants this - has wanted this _for years_ \- and he doesn’t want to wait anymore.

Dean exhales a shaky breath, and then he’s leaning in slowly, and when he gets close enough so that Cas can see the tiny specks of gold in his eyes, his own eyes close automatically, and he feels Dean’s breath hot on his lips before Dean brushes his lips against his softly. Dean kisses his top lip once, twice, three times, and then backs away the tiniest little bit to press his lips more firmly to his bottom lip. Cas is thankful his lips move against Dean’s instinctively because his mind is whirling and feels like his body is more alive in this moment than it ever has been before.

He’s still leaning in for more when Dean pulls away, and his eyes flutter open in confusion. He’s breathing incredibly hard from such a chaste kiss, and considering his hands are resting on Dean’s shoulders, he can feel that Dean’s doing the same thing.

“You’re a natural,” Dean says softly, and Cas couldn’t stop the smile from spreading for anything. But that kind of kiss isn't what he's been wondering about for so many years.

“That’s all you’ve got?” Cas asks him, and he has a moment of satisfaction when he sees Dean’s eyes widen in surprise. “I thought I asked you to show me how to kiss. We could’ve done that when we were eleven.”

“You fuckin’ smart ass,” Dean laughs, but he leans in to kiss him again, and Castiel’s retort is lost against his lips.

This time Dean only presses their lips together once more before Cas feels his mouth open and his tongue brush against the seam of his lips. His mouth opens in response, feeling Dean run his tongue along his lips again, and this time, his own tongue peeks out to meet it. He feels a jolt of desire run through his body at the sensation, and when Dean pushes his tongue further into his mouth, his meets it again and again, feeling like sparks are exploding all throughout his body. Then Dean’s angling his head slightly to the side and he dives in for real, and Cas’s knees actually go weak. His hands fall to grip his shoulders and a moan is drawn from his lips when he feels Dean’s shoulders so muscular from swimming under his hands for the first time. He hears a tiny answering moan from Dean before his thumb is brushing his cheek again and his mouth closes slowly, kissing him chastely once more before he pulls away entirely.

“Jesus Christ,” Dean gasps shakily. It’s only a second later when his voice comes out sounding more like himself and he says, “That better?”

Cas nods, swallowing thickly, trying to figure out how to get his hands to stop shaking and get words from his brain to his lips. “Was that - uh - did I -?”

Dean snorts. “Was that okay? Hell yeah it was okay. Best first kiss I’ve ever had. And if you’re asking if you did everything right, the answer is still hell yeah. My boyfriend’s hot as fuck and a good kisser.”

Cas’s heart tumbles in his chest. “Your boyfriend?”

Dean’s face falls. “Oh. Shit. I was gonna wait to ask you. Don’t wanna rush you. I didn’t mean for it to just slip out like that,” he says somewhat nervously.

“I would love to be your boyfriend, Dean, but I thought you said you didn’t have time for a relationship?”

“Yeah, ‘cause I didn't want to stop spending time with you, ya dummy,” Dean laughs, finally letting go of Cas and bending down to pick up his flowers. “You know how much flowers cost on Valentine’s Day, by the way? Just about shit myself when I had to pay for them. Good thing I like you,” he says with a wink that makes Cas’s heart flip flop again. “I got a vase, too. So I’ll put them in water, and then I thought I could start cooking.”

Cas’s brain is still having a hard time following all of this, and watching Dean put roses in a vase he bought for him isn’t helping. “You’re cooking?”

“Yup. My mom’s working a double, and Sam’s taking the twenty bucks I bribed him with to light all these candles and keep his damn mouth shut and taking Jess to the movies after they go out for dinner. So we got the place to ourselves -” he stops suddenly “ - not that I meant we need to be _alone_ alone. I mean, I was just kinda hoping you’d let me hold your hand while we watch a movie later, and it’d be kinda weird to do that in front of my mom for the first time, you know? Even though she knows I’m freaking crazy about you. And -“

“Dean?” Cas interrupts, probably smiling bigger than he’s ever smiled in his life. “I thought I was the one who was going to freak out about never being on a date before?”

Dean exhales loudly. “First for me, too, you know. And I meant what I said in that note. I want to spoil you.”

“You are. You have. But you won’t be able to keep doing it if you pass out because you’re talking so much you forget to take a breath. Just relax, okay? It’s just me. You can’t possibly screw this up because I already care about you and know exactly who you are. And I’m not above teasing you for it, either.”

Dean grins at him. “Wouldn’t want it any other way. How do you feel about burgers?”

“Burgers?” Cas repeats, surprised.

“I know how much you love them, and even though I know it’s not exactly romantic, it’s your favorite food and something I can actually cook pretty good, so I thought that would win me some brownie points.”

“Burgers make me very happy,” Cas says with a smile. " _You_ make me very happy."

Dean smiles back at him. “Good. Kinda goes with the whole _Happy_ Valentine’s Day thing.”

Castiel shoots him an amused look. “Please tell me that wasn’t an attempt at a joke.”

Dean shrugs, obviously not ashamed. “It was funny! You said you wanted your secret admirer to be funny and I’m over here delivering and you don’t even appreciate it!”

“Ah well, you’ve got everything else covered so I guess I’ll keep you.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” Dean threatens.

“How about you just hold me?” Cas asks.

Dean smiles and walks back around the counter to wrap his arms around him. Cas sinks into his arms happily, still in complete shock any of this is even happening.

“Totally worth the chick flick moments,” Dean says seriously, and Cas laughs against his chest, knowing there isn’t anywhere in the world he’d rather be.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Dean.”


End file.
